Family feud resulted in violent mass brawl in Ballina
The defendants pleaded guilty at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court.
Animosity between two sisters boiled over into a violent mass brawl on the streets of Ballina.
Eleven members of two factions of the Collins family from Barnadearg and Oaklawn in Ballina were embroiled in the fracas with seven people coming before Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court.
Maureen Collins, aged 43; Martin Collins Snr, aged 45; Martin Collins Jnr, aged 20; Stephen Collins, aged 23 (all with an address at 29 Oaklawns, Killala Road, Ballina); Ellen Collins, aged 54, and Michael Collins, aged 56, of Barnadearg, pleaded guilty to affray. Danny Collins, aged 18, also of Barnadearg, pleaded guilty to affray and assault causing harm.
Gda Chris Barrett told the court he was on mobile patrol in Ballina on February 13, 2023, when he received a report of an altercation at Barnadearg. He went to the scene and met with husband and wife Ellen and Michael Collins and their sons outside their Barnadearg home.
They alleged that their relatives Stephen and Martin Collins Jnr arrived outside their home and a fight broke out on the street.
Ellen’s sister Maureen and her husband Michael also went to the scene and a large brawl broke out between all the persons involved.
Ellen Collins alleged to Gardaí that Maureen had pulled her to the ground. Shane Collins (who is not before the court) told Gardaí he had been assaulted by Stephen Collins. Eleven people were involved in the dispute but a number were minors and were dealt with under a Juvenile Liaison Order.
One of Ellen’s sons took a video of the incident on his mobile phone which was handed over to Gardaí. The footage showed Danny Collins holding a large knife before lunging at Martin Collins Jnr and stabbing him. Martin Collins Jnr required 12 stitches to his left forearm.
The video also showed Maureen and Ellen Collins on the ground fighting and pulling each other’s hair.
Martin Collins Snr (Maureen’s husband) attempted to pull the sisters apart. Michael Collins (Ellen’s husband) became involved and was pushed to the ground by his brother-in-law.
On the video clip, Stephen Collins can be seen holding a claw hammer. It was alleged he assaulted Ellen Collins with the hammer but he was not charged with that offence.
Gda Barrett said the involvement of Michael Collins and Martin Collins Snr was relatively minor.
The families live two kilometres apart.
Michael Collins has 27 previous convictions. His wife Ellen has three. The other people involved have no previous convictions.
The court heard the Collins sisters had historical differences and there was a social media background to the case.
The melee broke out after it was alleged that a rock was thrown at Stephen Collins’ car by one of his cousins as he drove home from work.
The court was told that both families are involved in the Traveller mediation process and a ‘peace agreement’ has been signed.
“This was a pretty unsavoury event on the streets of Ballina,” said Judge Eoin Garavan. “There was a social media background to this in which one sister felt insulted and of course family pride, a bit of arrogance, and natural aggression manifested itself. Nobody would walk away from anything,” he added.
The judge said the younger generation started the fight before the parents “let themselves down” by joining in.
Judge Garavan said the incident escalated into a “violent orgy on the street.”
Maureen and Ellen Collins each received an eight-month suspended prison sentence. Their husbands Martin Collins Snr and Michael Collins were given the benefit of the Probation Act.
Stephen Collins was handed down a one-year suspended sentence. His brother Martin Collins Jnr was given a 10-month suspended prison term. Danny Collins received a 15-month suspended jail sentence.
